Joani Plenty

Born With A Desire To Inspire
January 12th, 2012

‘Being Human’…Must-See Supernatural T.V.

 

I don’t watch much television.  With 315,000 channels, not including the Spanish version of each of those channels, it’s more of a chore to find something to watch.  Because of this, I only watch shows that make me feel as if I’ll be forced to sacrifice my 1st and 4th born if I were to miss an episode.  A show that, if you told me the series was ending, would cause me to look at you like I would if you said that eating chocolate doesn’t really make my “girls” a bra cup-size bigger!

 

I’m not a “review” type of girl.  Come to think of it, I haven’t left more than one or two Amazon reviews and within those reviews, I also mentioned that I am not a “review” type of girl.  Here’s why:  Though I’m no where near considering myself to be a skeptic (they actually annoy the hell out of me with their “half empty” point of views), it seems as if everyone has an agenda these days.  So, I read the reviews, pretty much frowning at the perfect scores and lowest scores, and then take everything that I’ve read into consideration when making my own decisions.

 

But, because I have many close friends, Facebook friends and Tweeps who love fantasy/Sci-Fi thrillers, I do like to inform them of the one or two occasions where I find something new that I like (remember…I watch about 3 to 4 different shows/series per year…not per night, or even per week).  So, now that the last of “my shows” have ended until next season, the “clicker” and I have been a little distant.  Nothing but dumbed-down (but hysterically funny) sea creatures and a bipolar squirrel with a strong southern draw linger loudly in the background as I “play” on my computer.

 

Knowing of my vampire obsession *cough* liking, last week my hubs yells, over his Xbox game that he was playing to tell me that his cousin just mentioned a new show and it’s pretty good.  For the record…wishing you were a vampire and could wear your realistic fangs 364 other days of the year is hardly an obsession; nor is almost thinking you are a vampire when you wear said fangs *rolling eyes*.

 

The show is called ‘Being Human’ and revolves around Aidan (Sam Witwer), Josh (Sam Huntington) and Sally (Meaghan Rath); a vampire, werewolf and ghost who attempt to live as if they were human.  Battling against their supernatural instincts, these three unlikely roommates form a bond and defend each other against their evil “haters”.  OK, did I not just tell you what a man who has lived with me for 13 yrs. should already know?  I have “my shows”…I’ll pass, thank you.  Actually, my first thought was,  ”For the love of bacon!  You two know nothing about vampires and I’m offended that you even thought, for one silly little Skyrim second, that I would be interested in some ‘Vampire in Brooklyn’ remake for the small screen!”   But…being the vampire vixen that I am, and giving hubs a little credit for loving ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ the way that he did, I say, “OK, sure…I’ll bite.”  *snort*

 

So, we go to Netflix via his Xbox because the first season has ended.  This is perfect because I have a hard time waiting each week for the next episode of any show and have found a few of my favorite shows this way.  Great way to even catch shows that are no longer on the air.  Yea, my Facebook stats ranting about ’24′ are a bit useless but it’s my page, I’ll do what I want!  Besides, this way I can watch an entire season in almost one sitting.  If I love it, I won’t be able to go to bed, “Oh babe c’mon!  Just ONE more episode and then we’ll go to bed!  It’s only 3AM.” *good thing I am wish that I was a vampire*

 

As I’m watching ‘Being Human’, I begin to think what I thought originally; that this was going to be a farce!  ”Are you sure this is the show that your cousin was talking about?  I dunno babe…though I like to use a British accent in bed, this particular show just isn’t doing anything for me.”  I said to my hubs.  What was meant to be funny fell short and what was meant to be thrilling fell even shorter.  So I tell my hubs that I think there may be two versions of the show and to “look into that”.  Sure enough, I’m badass…we were watching the original BBC version of the show.  Not to say that this version isn’t good.  I didn’t give it a chance to find out.  So, eventually we find what we’re looking for and I agree to take even more time out of my busy day to watch what I thought was not going to be very good based on what I had already seen of the original version.

 

Well, shut my mouth and slap my momma!  It was pretty good!  OK…so I’m intrigued.  *XBOX!  NEXT EPISODE!…XBOX! NEXT EP…Hhhh…XBOX!  CANCEL!  NEXT EPISODE!*  ”Mom, you gotta say “Xbox” before your command or it won’t understand” my 6yr. old informs me, as-a-matter-of-factly.  *XBOX!  NEXT EPISODE!*  (lucky for you, all of this can be avoided by going to the official Syfy ‘Being Human’ website to  watch all of the season 1 episodes!  Yaaaay)!

 

So, if you love ‘True Blood’, I’ll bet that ‘Being Human’ will be just what the doctor ordered for your withdrawal symptoms.  ’Being Human’ got off to a slow start but not in the usual sense of the word.  I love that it was revealed early on how and why Aidan, Josh and Sally became the fun loving freaks that I (and you will soon) love.  By slow, I mean that it was just good for a few episodes but then became great!  So, if you keep this in mind along with the fact that you’re getting this valuable  information from a non-reviewing, stubborn, one-show-Wendy, lover of all things supernatural and you keep watching, I think you’ll be pleasantly pleased *redundant* surprised.

 

Hubs and I watched the rest of the first season.  Josh, Aidan and Sally evolved a great bit and what unfolded was unexpected to say the least.  The end of the episode before last motivated me to write this article.  I jumped up off of the sofa and screamed, “Whaaaaat?!  I thought vampires couldn’t do that!  Are you $%#! kidding me right now??!!   So THAT’S what happens if a vampire…?!”   Hubs was equally impressed with the show though less animated with his reaction: “Whoa…he must have said to himself, “I don’t give a %#!”.  Of course I can’t reveal who “he” is but I immediately informed my Facebook friends that I’ve found a new “my show”! ;)

 

*Now to give credit where it’s due: Be sure to catch the season 2 premier of ‘Being Human’ January 16, 2012 @ 9PM EST.  ’Being Human‘ is a  Syfy© original series.

 

 

 

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October 24th, 2011

Hostage Situation

I was enjoying my coffee in the heated and vibrating recliner before my kids came home from school and mutilated any chance of silence for the rest of the day.  We needed to get into the car and go to my favorite addiction in store form, A.C. Moore, so that the kids could pick out a craft project to make for my husband’s 40th birthday tomorrow.

 

Drowning in sensory overload as my kids played video games, played with puppets and sang made-up songs (badly), I decided that it was now a good time to go.  Just as I unglued my glutes from the chair I heard  a faint dog bark as if it were coming from within the house.  I then added freaked-out to that list of overload!  The reason is; we recently had to put our black lab to sleep due to a tumor and the family (especially my husband) hasn’t been the same since.

 

There was no dog on the video game that the kids were playing so I made a crazy face and thought nothing else of it.  Then I heard it again!!  So I confirmed with my youngest son, Jax, that there wasn’t a barking dog in the video game that my son Boston was energetically playing.  ”There it is again!” I thought to myself.

 

Hearing the bark himself, Jax gets up and goes to the front door.   “Mom!  It’s Hercules…he’s not dead, he’s at the door!”  he says.  ”Noooo, he’s not silly.” is what I wanted to say but, instead, a blank, “WTF?!” stare came over my face.  It was all that I was able to do considering the thought of my dog-angel suddenly returning home (and barking at the same time he barks every night for his Kibbles-n-Bits) had now caused me to have temporary paralysis.

 

“Come look!  It is Hercules!”  Jax said as-a-matter-of-factly.  But I was not getting up .  I changed my mind…I didn’t hear a thing!   After recently being told that one of my bff’s houses is believed to be haunted, my nerves couldn’t take it (nor could my electric bill from leaving all of the lights on)!  The bark, then, became louder and more clear.  ”Ok, Joan…you’ve got to get it together fruit cake; be the example.”  I thought to myself.  ”You must show your kids that there is nothing to be afraid of; Hercules is not chillin on the front porch between the mums and the pumpkins as if he just took a few days off and was now returning from a much needed vacation away from our crazy family.  Then, when all is said and done, the kids will have gotten an added bonus on how to make a tropical martini as an inevitable means to an end.  Now, go and check the porch just as you do when you’re expecting the FedEx dude to bring you something you shouldn’t have bought in the first place.”

 

I managed to draw up enough courage to creep around the living-room wall to peek through the glass of the front door.  The feeling of my heart beat in the center of my throat was like  base coming through a speaker.  A sudden flash of heat that would have my Grandmother ask me if I was going through “The Change”, flushed through me.  What if it was Hercules?  What was I going to do?  How was I going to explain this to the kids.  I just got them to understand Hercules’ death without a game of 20 questions in return.  I don’t want them thinking everything that leaves comes back (because then my daughter would be looking for that ugly, floosie-of-a-doll that mysteriously (read: purposely) disappeared to, one day, reappear, barking outside the front door too).

 

Squinting my eyes, I leaned my head closer to the glass of the door in slow motion.  In sort of a  mirror-like effect, what seemed to be the big black head of a dog, leaned slowly towards me.  *truestory* I felt like I was watching a bad episode of ‘Scooby Doo‘ and should start yelling, “IT’S NOT A GHOST SCOOB!  It’s your neighbor, Mr. Parker, who is trying to scare you and your medeling kids into moving.  He’s tired of you leaving your trash cans at the curb a day later than everyone else!”  I opened my eyes a little more because now I needed to prove to myself that I hadn’t lost my mind.  As if on cue, a dog jumped, then stood there with its tongue out; drooling all over my orange and green pumpkin shaped welcome mat.

 

Hhhhhh.  I breathed a half-ass sigh of relief when I realized that it was just that damn dog who likes to roam the neighborhood freely holding  us, and our neighbors, hostage in our own homes!  He’s black and stocky with a silver bike-like chain around his neck as an added touch of intimidation.  I went to the bay window where my cat, Xena, was sleeping in her basket.  She, though, was totally not effected by the black mutt with the big balls that was trying to get her attention (I mean balls as in bold enough to just walk onto my porch when he normally just marks his territory around the parameter of my home.  Get your head out of the gutter long enough to finish reading my horrific story please and thank you).   As a matter of fact, Xena, who couldn’t care less about what was pretentiously going on around her, just stretched then turned her back to this ridiculous display of Narcissism and returned to her slumber.

 

Noticing that the dog’s tail was wagging rapidly, I remembered that Moose A. Moose, in Noggin’s ‘Pet Safety’ video, said that you can tell that a dog is friendly because it will wag it’s tail.  So, I start talking to the dog through the window.  He wags his tail faster.  I then tell the kids that he’s friendly (because Moose A. Moose knows his stuff).  Then Jax runs to the door to open it.  ”NO!”  I yell.  ”You don’t know that dog.  Remember what Moose A. Moose said about petting a dog that you don’t know?  You have to ask the owner for “Puppy Petting Permission”.  #duh.

 

I further explained that they should never approach a dog that is not on a leash and/or with an owner.  I then sat back down at my computer to tell you all about this crazy day in the life of a crazy bacon-loving author.

 

*knock knock*  ”Jax…did someone just knock on the door?”…  www.joaniplenty.com/blog/boo

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